Using Croatian buses: an introduction

Taking the bus in Croatia is often the most efficient way of getting around. The network is extremely comprehensive, and even the smallest village is connected.

Generally faster than the train, buses are the main travel choice for backpackers and locals alike. Journey times are reasonably quick on direct routes.

Online information is improving, as is the option of buying tickets online. Expect to stop at least once on a longer journey, welcome news for smokers and those in need of a toilet.

Tickets can be bought in advance or from the driver, although availability of tickets can be an issue in season. If you are carrying luggage, you must store this in the hold, at a cost of 7 kuna per item.

International bus connections to Croatia

Croatia is very well-connected with the European bus network. Zagreb is, of course, the main hub, but there are also many direct connections from Istria, Rijeka and Split. And the crushing emigration from Slavonia has opened up several new routes from Osijek. Eurolines has the most comprehensive online information for online routes to and from Croatia.

Where to find the latest bus information

Someone asked me recently if I would do a website with all the local bus timetables in Croatia. They told me it would be one of the most popular sites in Croatia, and I believe them.

Getting accurate bus information in Croatia is a real challenge. I am on the mailing list of the bus company which serves Hvar, for example. About 6 times a year, I receive about 10 PDFs of the latest bus timetables. If I didn’t publish it, there would be nothing in English online.

Things are changing a little, however. A relatively new website, Bus Croatia, not only has all of the bus timetables for the major destinations, but also ticket prices, travel times and availability.

But I should also say that while I personally have found Bus Croatia to be excellent, the information they provide is not always 100% accurate. I have turned up for non-existent buses in Varazdin three times in the last two years, for example. This is the Balkans, baby – no such thing as 100% certainty.

The other site worth trying is Arriva, which has seemingly taken over from Autotrans. Again, lots of info on the website, with the chance to buy online.

Buying Croatian bus tickets online

Both Arriva and Bus Croatia allow you to buy tickets online. But please note this is not usually possible less than 24 hours before travel.

A Croatian bus journey – what you need to know

Although I can cite a couple of examples to the contrary, Croatian buses tend to be extremely punctual. My favourite proof of this was the 15:00 departure from Zagreb, which was advertised with a 20:05 arrival in Split. With my last ferry to Hvar at 20:30, I never once missed the crossing.

Toilets are not included in the service, so go before you get on the bus. On longer journeys, there is usually 15-20 break every 2-3 hours. A chance to freshen up, get some food or have a smoke, for smoking is not allowed.

Some bus companies offer free WiFi on board, and even a free bottle of water.

When you buy a ticket, you get allocated a seat number. Expect people to let you know if you are sitting in their place…

If you have a rucksack or suitcase with you, you must pay 7 kuna per item, for which you get a receipt.

DHL who? Croatian buses, the fastest delivery service around

If you are looking for the most efficient delivery service in Europe, use the bus in Craotia. In many ways, it is the lifeblood of society. Dalmatian mothers sending boxes of vegetables from the field to teenage sons and daughters at university in Zagreb. That kind of thing.

A small note ‘for a coffee’ to the driver, and packages are transported all over the country at a pace that DHL can only dream of. And it works for other emergencies too.

Earlier this year, we drove from Varazdin to Korcula, staying a night in Zadar. As I drove down, I realised I had forgotten my passport, which I needed to get through the Neum Corridor in Bosnia, as well as onward travel to Montenegro.

A phone call to a friendly neighbour who had our house key, a favour called in from a relative in Zagreb, and the passport arrived in Split 8 hours later on the bus. Magical.

The arrival of Flixbus

And then came Flixbus.

The first major international company to enter the Croatian market is providing some serious competition to its local competitors in the initial couple of years of operation.

With a rapidly expanding national network to complement its international network, it is worth keeping tabs on Flixbus for your bus travel in Croatia and beyond.

Popular bus routes – Split to Zagreb

For tourists, the bus is the quickest and cheapest way to get to and from the main tourist centres. Here is what you need to know about getting from Zagreb to Split, including a stopover at Plitvice Lakes.

Is there a bus to meet the ferry in Croatia?

One of the great stresses of ferry travel is how to get from the ferry to your end destination. Will there be a bus to meet the ferry?

The good news is that the Croatian bus network connects well with the ferry system. Not only does a bus meet almost every ferry, but the bus timetable also allow travellers get from destinations to the ferry in plenty of time.